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RM Auctions Salon Prive 2011 – Auction Preview

RM Auctions will hold its inaugural sale at the Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for 23 June, 2011 at Syon Park in London. The Salon Prive auction, which is only open to British-built automobiles, has attracted 57 English cars, including multiple Aston Martin, Jaguar and Rolls-Royce automobiles.

Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Europe says, “What is nice about this sale is that we have selected some genuinely rare and interesting cars and motorcycles while also offering a very comprehensive selection of British marques that represent a wide cross-section of some of the best loved and most keenly collected models.”

Rolls-Royce is represented in the sale by a total of nine examples, ranging from an 1924 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Open Tourer (Estimate: £60,000 – £85,000) to a late 1993 Rolls-Royce Corniche IV Cabriolet (Estimate: £58,000 – £70,000). Other Rolls’ highlights include a 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Tourer with coachwork by Smith & Waddington (Estimate: £100,000 – £140,000), once driven by Prince Michael of Kent during a visit to Australia, and a 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupé, (Estimate: £380,000 – £420,000), one of just three produced with Freestone & Webb coachwork.

The star Rolls-Royce lot is 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Experimental Sports Tourer, ‘10 EX’, the first prototype Phantom I Continental to be fitted with sports body ‘torpedo’ coachwork by Barker. This unusually rakish and sporting pre-war Rolls has a well-documented history and is estimated to sell for £400,000 – £800,000.

1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupe
1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Drophead Coupe – Estimate £380,000 – £420,000
1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Experimental Sports Tourer, 10EX
1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Experimental Sports Tourer – Estimate £400,000 – £800,000

No less than 16 Aston Martin cars feature in the auction, with two pre-war examples on offer including the one-off, ex-works 1939 Aston Martin 2-Litre Speed Model, chassis number 727U, originally built by the factory for outer circuit racing at the historic Brooklands. Now fully rebuilt and prepared by one the world’s leading marque specialists, the car is estimated to achieve between £320,000 – £380,000.

“Aston Martin is brand famous for its well-built, high-performance GT cars, and the marque is currently one of the most collectable in market place”, adds Girardo. “Post war DB cars have, in particular, rallied in value in recent years, and we are truly delighted to be able to offer such a broad spectrum of desirable Aston models.”

Early DBs are represented by three DB2s in Drophead Coupé, Coupé and Saloon body styles alongside two DB Mark III Coupes. There are also three DB4 examples, the highlight of which is a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage Convertible, a rare example in left-hand drive and one of only 74 Convertibles made. With a documented history behind it, the car was once owned by the famed actor and diplomat, Sir Peter Ustinov (Estimate: £250,000 – £320,000).

1939 Aston Martin 2-Litre Brooklands Speed Model
1939 Aston Martin 2-Litre Speed Model – Estimate £320,000 – £380,000
1961 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage Convertible
1961 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage Convertible – Estimate £250,000 – £320,000

Jaguar is also represented well at the debut RM Auctions Salon Prive sale, with 11 models from the Coventry-based car maker, including both pre- and post-war examples. The SS100 is considered by many to be one of the most iconic examples of pre-war sports car design – the sale features a wonderful 1937 Jaguar SS 100 2.5 Litre Roadster, chassis number 18116 (Estimate: £200,000-£230,000).

The post war ‘XK’ sports cars are also well represented by a solitary XK120 and four XK150 models. The highlight of these is the 1959 Jaguar XK150 3.8S Roadster, the ultimate evolution of the XK-Series cars of the 1950 and a matching numbers example that boasts a service book signed by company founder William Lyons. It is estimated to bring £180,000 – £240,000.

In its 50th anniversary year, it’s only fitting that the sale should include three examples of the E-Type, from an early 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2 Fixed Head Coupé (Estimate: £40,000 – £50,000) to one of the last of the breed, a 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series III Convertible (Estimate: £38,000 – £45,000).

1937 Jaguar SS 100 2½ Litre Roadster
1937 Jaguar SS 100 2½ Litre Roadster – Estimate £200,000-£230,000
1959 Jaguar XK150 3.8S Roadster
1959 Jaguar XK150 3.8S Roadster – Estimate £180,000 – £240,000

Motorcycles are a new feature of the sale for RM, with seven examples on offer from historic British manufactures such as BSA, Triumph and Brough Superior. Worthy of particular note is the 1960 BSA Gold Star, fully restored and in desirable Clubman’s configuration (Estimate: £14,000 – £18,000), and the 1939 Brough Superior 11.50 V-Twin, an excellent, late example of one of these highly desirable machines (Estimate: £35,000 – £45,000).

Other entries featured at RM Auctions Salon Prive 2011 include a 1929 Bentley Speed Six “Le Mans” Style Tourer, chassis number FA 2518, a faithful recreation of the 1930 No 3 Speed Six Le Mans team car (Estimate: £450,000 – £570,000); a 1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback, (Estimate: £325,000-£425,000); ex-Works Le Mans entrant 1961 Sunbeam Alpine Harrington Coupé, chassis number B 9102730/OD/HRO (Estimate: £58,000 – £70,000); and, 1933 Lagonda 3-Litre Tourer, a pre-war touring car with an award-winning restoration (Estimate: £150,000 – £200,000).

1929 Bentley Speed Six 'Le Mans' Style Tourer
1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Le Mans’ Style Tourer – Estimate £450,000 – £570,000
1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback
1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback – Estimate £325,000-£425,000

RM Auctions at Salon Prive 2011 – Event Details

Sale date:
23 June, 2011, Auction commences at 5:00pm GMT

Preview dates:
22 June, 2011, 11:00am – 9:00pm* GMT
23 June 2011, 9:00am – 5:00pm GMT

*Please note that on Wednesday, 22 June, the preview will be open to Salon Privé guests until 4:00pm. The preview will then open for those with an official auction catalogue (plus one guest) until 9:00pm.

Location:
Syon House,
Syon Park, London TW8 8JF
United Kingdom

Admission to this event requires the purchase of an official auction catalogue available for £50. The catalogue admits two to the auction and must be presented at the entrance of the sale to be granted entry. Please note that the purchase of an RM catalogue does not grant admission to the Salon Privé event.

View Digital Catalogue – RM Auctions Salon Prive 2011

For more information, visit www.rmauctions.com or call RM’s London office at +44 20 7851 7070. For additional information on the Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance, visit www.salonprivelondon.com.

[Source: RM Auctions]